Tom Dumoulin: Thomas is the strongest rider in the Tour de France

An ashen-faced Tom Dumoulin leant against a barrier atop the Col du Portet after stage 17 of the Tour de France, sitting quietly in the eye of the multi-lingual storm of television crews jostling for position around him. A Team Sunweb soigneur made entreaties for more space, and eventually, the ring loosened sufficiently to allow him to slot Dumoulin's bike into a turbo trainer in the centre.

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Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.